Electric switch



Filed may 13. 1 922 3 sheets-sum 1.

v INVENTOR ATTORNEY C Oct. 20, 1925.

1,558,116 c. D. PLATT ELECTRIC SWITCH 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 13. 1922 IN VEN TOR A TTORNE Y Oct.

C. D. PLATT ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed May 13. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Patented Oct. 2 0, 1925.

CLARENCE D. PLAT'I, 0F BBIDQEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC 'swncn.

Application area May 13, 1922. Serial No. 560,598.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, CLARE CE D. PLATT, a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Bridgeport, F airfield County,

Connecticut, have invented new and useful Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

It is recognized as standard practice today to enclose electric switches in boxes and .to protect the cables or conductors by electric conduits. Such constructions are very desirable and in many cases necessary. {In case the parts of an ordinary switch are in jured or burned out, it is ordinarily diflicult to replace the switch and considerable time is required for the operation.

The main object of my invention is to so construct the switch and connections that the parts liable to be injured may be very readily replaced in a minimum time-without danger to the operator or material interruption of the service.

A further object is to provide a construction wherein it is possible and perfectly safe to replace a switch-box unit without interrupting the main circuit in any way and in which the live wires may be safely handled although they may be alive or hot up to the point of attachment to the switch unit.

In carrying out the invention, the switch.

' conduits. The electric connections between I the conductors and the switch are established by means of especially constructed members in the nature of plugs or sockets adapted to be readily applied to the circuit terminals of the switch. These connector members are so constructed that it' is practically impossible to make accidental contact with the cable ends.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a construction embodying the improvements of my invention, the cover of the main section and the cover of one end section of the box being removed "and one of the connectors being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a side view and partial section of the same construction, the covers all being in place.

ig. 3 is a perspective vlew of one of the end members of the box or casing.

Fig. 4 is a side view of one of the connectors. v

Fig. 5 is an inside view of the same.

Figs. 6 and 7 are horizontal sections on the planes of the lines 6-6 and 77- respective'ly of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the line 8.8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the switch carryingpart detached from the conduit connected parts.

Fig. 10 shows a modified form-of end member.

The switch proper is mounted on the in sulating base 10 and has one or more swinging or hinged contact members 11, each of which has a cooperating stationary contact 12. Provision is usually made for fuses to protect each line. In thiscase I have shown iuse clips 13 to receive the cartridge type of use.

The insulating base 10 may be secured in the box section 14 in any suitable manner. This switch box section is open at one or on the plane 'both ends and' provided with a shaft or crank 15 which is suitably connected with the swinging switch members 11. Th1s crank 15 -may be operated in any suitable manner, for instance,- by meansof a handle 16 'and quick-break mechanism 17 asshown in the Getchell Patent #1,393,111. The main switch box is preferably provided with a cover 18 which may be hinged to it 111 any suitable manner. I also prefer to provide some form' of interlocking mechanism such as 19 to ordinarily hold the cover closed when the circuit is closed through the switch.

The end of the enclosing box is formed by means of a separatdmember 20 to which is'secured in any suitable manner a conduit 21 for the conductors 22- In-the construction'herein shown bothendsof the main box are closed in the same manner. conductor is provided with a terminal member 23 for connection to stationary clip or clips 24 corresponding to and connected to thestationary terminals 12- of the switch. The end member 26 of the box may be secured to a support in any suitable manner,

as for instance, by means of screws 25. Each main member is preferably provided with a hinged cover 26 having a part 2" adapted to be engaged by the end flange of the cover 18 so as to prevent the cover Each 26 from being opened when the cover 18 is an insulating butt 35 which serves to substantially close the upper end of the recess. The other end of the blade is preferably somewhat sharpened or beveled as shown in Figs. 5 and 8, and provided with lugs 36 pressed out from the edges to rest in grooves 37 in the insulating members so as to securely hold the lower end of the blade 34 in the center of the recess and thus insure proper engagement of the blade with the switch terminal without danger of binding the blade. The conductor 22 passes through a groove 28formed between the parts of the insulating members and is secured to a socket member 39 which 'in turn is fastened to the blade 34 by means of. a screw 40. The insulating members are provided with recesses 41 to accommodate the socket 39. The insulating members are also provided with recesses 42 to alternatively receive the head or shank of the screw and thus support the blade 34: intermediate its ends.

In the construction shown, the entire switch unit including the main box section may be removed or only the switch per se or such parts as it may be necessary'to replace.

In case of destruction of or injury to the switch, it is simply necessary to open the cover 18, turn-back the covers 26, pull off the connectors 23, take out the screws 28 or other means of sup ort, and substitute a new switch unit, 'rep ace the connectors 23, and close the covers. As the circuit is opened when the cover is opened, and as the connectors 23 have insulating bodies or clip pieces, there is no dan er of the operator coming in contact with live parts.

This construction also makes it unnecessary to loosen binding screws or tape exposed ends of wires while making the necessary changes. Such a construction and arrangement is particularly advantageous where the switches are, used in power lines where interruption in'the service even for a few minutes is a very serious matter, and in which case it is necessary to replace a worn out or burned out switch-unit without in terrupting the circuit in the leading inor .live wires. I

Fig. 10 shows an end member or plate 43 adapted to be used in place of the end member It has a knock-out 44 for any suitable form of conduit connection.

I claim:

1. A construction of the character described comprising a box consisting of a main member and a separate end member, two flexible conductors entering the box through said end member, a circuit terminal secured to the end of each of said flexible conductors, an insulating housing for each of said terminals, a switch mounted in said main box .member and having projecting terminal clips adapted to detachably receive said circuit terminals with- 111 saidinsulatinghousings, said main box member being open at the front to permit access to said switch and to said housings and a cover for said main box member to normally enclose sald parts, said main box -member being detachably associated with said end member to permit ready removal "when said terminals are disconnected.

2. In an electric switch, a combination of a main switch and an enclosure therefor, an end member, astationary conduit connected to said end member, a cover for saidend member, a readily detachable connector for the conductor in said conduit, means for detachably securing said main switch enclosure to said end member and a cover for said enclosure serving to hold the cover of the end member in place.

.3. In an electric switch, a main casing, a switch mounted therein a cover for said casing, an end member or saidcasing, a conduit connected to said end member means for detachably securin said main switch casing to said end mem. er and a cover for said end member adapted to be held in closed position by the cover of said casing.

4. An enclosed switch construction comprising two stationary end members having circuit terminals and a removable switch box having switch contacts and terminals adapted to receive said circuit terminals.

5. A safety switch construction comprising a casing open atQboth ends and at the front, a switch mounted in said casing having an external operator and internal circuit terminals, endmembers for said casing having conduit connections and flexibly mounted plug terminals adapted to be readily engaged with and disengaged from the circuit terminals of said switch and means for detachably securing said switch casing to said end member.

6. A safety switch of the character set forth in claim 5 having separately mounted covers for the main enclosure and for the end membersoLaRENcE 1). PLATT. 

